The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation decided to suspend this week’s three day strike due to the proposal.

Minister Donohoe said the Labour Court document set out four different areas of productivity savings that would enable movement into the different nursing grades.

He said: ‘When we go through the work that we have planned in relation to contracts with the nursing union which was laid out by the Labour Court that will enable further clarity in relation to this.’

Health Minister Simon Harris (left) and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe speaking at Government Buildings in Dublin, after the nurses’ strike was suspended after an intervention by the Labour Court. Pic: Michelle Devane/PA Wire

He added that ‘productivity and the reallocation of funding for the new entrant agreement is making a very big difference to how we will fund this’.

When asked if he is confident he has a ‘bulletproof’ guarantee of no knock on claims from other unions following on from the nursing deal, Mr Donohoe said that was up to the unions.

Pic: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

‘That is a matter for those unions in terms of decisions that they want to make and it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment on how they will evaluate it,’ he added.

The Labour Court recommendation issued to the Health Service Executive (HSE) and nurses’ unions included a new grade being created.

Pic: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

The Enhanced Nurse Practice Grade is a pay scale that is higher than the existing scale, by an average €2,000 to €2,500, or around 7.3pc — it will range from €35,806 to €45,841 per year.

The HSE said with nurses and midwives fully attending work this week, it expects outpatient appointments to go ahead as planned.

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